How To Beat The Back-Home Blues

So the Summer Olympics are over. Done. Finished. Gone for another four years. I’m not experiencing the same level of sadness I do at the end of a trip, but it’s close.

The end of a vacation is always the worst part for me. I start to get pangs of sadness a day or two beforehand. I try to ignore them and concentrate on enjoying the fleeting time I have left, but I know what’s coming. Packing up the suitcases. Worrying about plane tickets and airport check-ins and flight delays. Knowing that the brief respite from daily responsibilities is almost at an end. Yup, the end of a trip is hard. So, in the interest of adapting a positive attitude and looking on the bright side, I have some tips for smoothly transitioning back into everyday life.

Organize and caption your photos: Sometimes a little wallowing is a good thing. And in this case, you can make it a productive wallow. As soon as you get home, plug in that camera and empty your memory card. Crop, resize and color correct to your heart’s content. With the trip still fresh in your mind, now’s the time to make those images perfect (and to make sure you label them before you forget exactly what they are. Nothing is worse than sharing your photos and saying brilliant things like “This is an old church. I think it was in London, but it could’ve been Bath. I don’t know. It’s old.” Not exactly the most stimulating commentary).

Tell your story: Whether it’s a slide show and dinner party with friends, or a marathon phone call with your mom, share the tales of your adventures. Your excitement and enthusiasm will rub off on your audience, and you get to relive the fun as you tell your stories again and again.

Unpack: I hate to unpack. Packing before a trip can be fun or, if not exactly fun, at least you know that the exciting stuff is still ahead of you. Unpacking, on the other hand, is really just emptying dirty clothes and random ticket stubs out of your suitcase. Laundry needs to be done, suitcases need to be stored; it’s the realization that the trip really is over. But it always makes me feel better to get it over with as soon as I can. For me, there’s nothing sadder than a half-unpacked suitcase in the middle of my floor.

Catch up on your favorite blogs: I know lots of people probably keep up with them while they’re away, but I don’t. I like to unplug and concentrate on exploring the new place I’m in. I like to find new routines. So, when I get home, I look forward to sitting down with a big cup of tea and checking in with my daily blog buddies. It’s like visiting with friends; I catch myself up on what they’ve been up to and it helps to ease me back into my regular schedule.

Enjoy sleeping in your own bed: I don’t love hotels. There’s something strange about sleeping somewhere so many people have slept before. So my absolute favorite part of coming home is curling up with my pillow, under my blanket, in my own glorious bed. Good and night.

What are some of the things you love coming home to?

(Image via Shutterstock).